Rotatable Spool For Winding Cords or Hoses

ABSTRACT

A rotatable spool includes a frame with a central rod and a hollow cylinder that is rotatable about the central rod. The cylinder includes an inscribed helical thread that is formed along the length of the cylinder and a central axis parallel with the central rod. The operator is disposed around a portion of the cylinder and includes a projection engaged with the helical thread such that linear movement of the operator causes the cylinder to rotate about its central axis. A reel is rotatably mounted on the frame and a clutch selectively couples the cylinder and the reel when the operator is depressed toward the frame.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No.60/877,844, filed on Dec. 28, 2006, the entirety of which is hereby fullincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Hoses and electrical cords are frequently used to transmit fluid orelectrical current extended distances between a source and a remotelocation where these are used. Hoses and electrical cords are often usedas temporary conduits of fluid or electrical current, such that thesemembers should to be sufficiently flexible for convenient and fastset-up and removal. Because cords and hoses are flexible, they have atendency to knot, kink, or become entangled when not coiled after use.Extended lengths of hoses and cords are often stored around a reel thatallows for easy and rapid removal for use at a job site by simplypulling a free end of the cord or hose from the reel.

As understood by those of skill in the art, the cord or hose must oftenbe wrapped around a reel by manually rotating the reel about its centralaxis after a first end of the cord or hose has been fixed to the reel.Wrapping a long cord or hose around a reel can often be a laborintensive process, which often provides a disincentive to taking thetime to wrap the cord or hose around a reel, in spite of theorganizational benefits derived from doing so.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A first representative embodiment of a spool includes a rotatablecylinder with a helical thread inscribed on an outer arcuate surface ofthe cylinder. An operator is disposed concentrically and at leastpartially surrounding the cylinder. The cylinder includes a top end, abottom end, and a projection provided in the vicinity of the bottom endof the operator and radially extending toward a rotational axis of thecylinder. A reel is rotatably mounted at least partially surrounding thecylinder and the operator. The reel is engageable with the cylinder torotate therewith.

A second representative embodiment of a spool includes a rotatablecylinder with a helical groove inscribed on an outer surface of thecylinder and an operator at least partially surrounding the cylinder.The operator includes a projection that engages the helical groove. Abracket surrounds a portion of the operator and the cylinder and aclutch selectively engaging the cylinder and the bracket. A reel isremoveably engageable with the bracket for rotation with the bracket.

A third representative embodiment of a spool includes a frame with acentral rod and a hollow cylinder rotatable about the central rod. Thecylinder includes an inscribed helical thread formed along the length ofthe cylinder and a central axis parallel with the central rod. Anoperator is disposed around a portion of the cylinder that includes aprojection engaged with the helical thread such that linear movement ofthe operator causes the cylinder to rotate about its central axis. Areel is rotatably mounted on the frame and a clutch couples the cylinderand the reel when the operator is depressed toward the frame.

Advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following description of the preferredembodiments of the invention that have been shown and described by wayof illustration. As will be realized, the disclosure is capable of otherand different embodiments, and its details are capable of modificationin various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to beregarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a spool for rotating a reel, showing theoperator in the extended position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the spool of FIG. 1, showing theoperator in the compressed position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spool of FIG. 1, with the reelremoved.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the spool of FIG. 1, with the bracketremoved.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the spool of FIG. 1, showing the operator inthe extended position.

FIG. 6 is the view of FIG. 5, showing the clutch engaged and theoperator in the extended position.

FIG. 7 is the view of FIG. 5, showing the operator in the compressedposition.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cylinder of the spool of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the components forming the spool of FIG.1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternate cylinder of the spool ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a detail view of the cylinder and collar of the spool of FIG.1 with opposing magnets disposed on each of the cylinder and the collar.

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of an alternate spool, with a motor andclutch causing selective rotation of the reel.

FIG. 13 is an upper exploded view of the components of an electricaldistribution system of the spool.

FIG. 14 is a bottom exploded view the spool of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is an upper exploded view of the components of an electricaldistribution system of another spool.

FIG. 16 is a bottom exploded view of the spool of FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to FIGS. 1-9, an exemplary embodiment of a rotatable spool10 for winding a flexible elongated member such as a cord, a hose, astring, a length of tape, a rope, or the like around a reel 20 isprovided. While the spool 10 may be used for a plurality of differenttypes of flexible elongated members, the operation will be discussedwith respect to a hose for the sake of brevity. The structure of thereel 20 and operation of the spool 10 for other types of flexibleelongated members is representative of the discussion with respect to ahose provided herein.

The rotatable spool 10 includes a reel 20 that is rotatably received ona frame 40. A bracket 60 is additionally rotationally mounted about theframe 40 and includes a plurality of ribs 62 that engage the internalsurface of the reel 20 to transfer torque from the bracket 60 to thereel 20. A cylinder 80 is rotationally mounted to the frame 40 andincludes at least one inscribed helical slot 86 defined on the outerarcuate surface of the cylinder 80. A clutch 120 is provided toselectively transfer torque generated in the cylinder 80 to the bracket60 to cause the bracket 60 (and accordingly the reel 20) to rotate alongwith the cylinder 80.

An operator 100, or button, is mounted on the frame 40 and istranslatable along the central axis 12 of the spool 10 with respect tothe cylinder 80, the bracket 60, and the reel 20 (if installed). Theoperator 100 includes at least one projection 106 that extends inwardfrom an inner surface of a hollow column 104 of the operator 100 andengages the helical slot 86 in the cylinder 80 to cause the cylinder 80to rotate about the central axis 12 when the operator 100 is presseddownward toward the frame 40.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the reel 20 includes two discs 22 that definethe side surfaces of the reel 20 and that enclose a portion of thevolume suitable for winding a hose around a central cylinder 24 of thereel 20. The central cylinder 24 is hollow with an inner diameterslightly larger than the diameter of the bracket 60. The reel 20 mayalso include a plurality of indentations 26 that extend radially inwardfrom the outer circular edge of the discs 22. The reel 20 further mayinclude a plurality of apertures 28 formed in the discs 22. Theapertures 28 may be used as a handle when the reel 20 is removed fromthe frame 40. The indentations 26 and apertures 28 provide spacessuitable for retaining a first end of a flexible hose within the reel20, such that the remaining portion of the flexible hose wraps aroundthe central cylinder 24 when the reel 20 is rotated with respect to theframe 40. Further, the indentations 26 and apertures 28 allow the reel20 to be manufactured with less material than would be required withsolid discs, which decreases the weight and the amount of material usedto manufacture the reel 20, without sacrificing a significant amount ofmechanical strength.

The frame 40 supports the remaining components of the spool 10,including the cylinder 80, the bracket 60, the operator 100, and thereel 20 (when installed around the bracket 60). The frame 40 includes ahandle 44, a plate 42, and a central rod 46. The plate 42 is rigidlymounted to the handle 44 and provides a bottom surface for the bracket60 and the reel 20 to rest upon and rotate with respect to the frame 40.The handle 44 may be formed with a plurality of different geometries andmay provide a structure to hold and carry the spool 10. The handle 44may be formed with at least one enclosed portion 48 in the vicinity ofthe reel 20 (when installed). During use, the hose may be threadedthrough the enclosed portion 48, which aids in the removal of kinks orbends from the hose, aiding in the convenience and ease of winding thehose around the reel with the spool 10.

The central rod 46 extends vertically and substantially perpendicularlyfrom the plate 42 and coaxially with the central axis 12 of the spool10. The central rod 46 provides vertical and rotatable alignment for thecylinder 80, which in turn provides linear translatable alignment forthe operator 100 (as aided by a central tube 64 of the bracket 60). Thecentral rod 46 may be fixed to the plate 42 with a fastener 47 thatextends through an aperture in the plate 42 or in other similar methodsknown in the art. Alternatively, the central rod 46 may be integrally ormonolithically formed with the plate 42.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 60 is rotatably mounted to theframe 40 and the reel 20 may be installed to substantially surround thebracket 60. The bracket 60 includes a plurality of ribs 62 that radiallyextend outward from a central tube 64. The ribs 62 may each include aface 62 a perpendicular to the radially extending portion of the rib 62.The face 62 a engages the reel 20 when the reel is installed on thebracket 60. In some embodiments, the face 62 a may be arcuate with aradius of curvature that is only slightly smaller than the radius ofcurvature of the inner central cylinder 24 of the reel 20.

The bracket 60 may include at least one latch 66 that is engageable withthe reel 20 when the reel 20 is installed around the bracket 60. Thelatch 66 may be a tounge-like member that extends upward from the face62 a of a rib 62. The latch 66 includes a tab 67 that extendsperpendicularly and radially outward from the centerline of the bracket60. The distance between the bottom surface of the tab 67 and the plate42 is slightly larger than the width of the reel 20. The top surface ofthe tab 67 may be inclined such that the latch 66 tends to bend inward(i.e. toward the center of the bracket 60) when the reel 20 is placedaround the bracket 60 to allow the reel 20 to be installed with a singlehand.

The outer portion of the tab 67 extends a slightly greater distance fromthe bracket 60 centerline than the radius of the central cylinder 24 ofthe reel 20. Accordingly, when the reel 20 is installed on the bracket60, the tab 67 extends over a portion of the reel 20, preventing thereel 20 from falling off of the bracket 60 if the spool unit is turnedover. The latch 66 is sufficiently flexible to allow the latch 66 to bemanually flexed inward toward the centerline of the bracket 60disengaging the tab 67 from the reel 20, allowing the reel 20 to beremoved from the bracket 60.

As shown in FIGS. 4-8, the cylinder 80 is a hollow right circularcylinder and includes a top end 82 and a bottom end 84. The cylinder 80has a slightly larger inner diameter than an outer diameter of a centralrod 46 of the frame 40. The central rod 46 aligns the cylinder 80 andallows for rotation about the frame 40 and the central axis 12 of thespool 10. The cylinder 80 includes at least one helical groove 86 thatextends around the circumference of the cylinder 80 from the vicinity ofthe top end 81 of the cylinder 80 to the vicinity of the bottom end 84of the cylinder 80. The pitch of the helical groove 86 is a function ofthe size of the cylinder 80 and the materials of the cylinder 80, theoperator 100, and the projection 106. The helical groove 86 accepts aprojection 106 (discussed in detail below) from the operator 100. Insome embodiments, the cylinder 80 may be removable from the spool 10 toallow for different cylinders 80 with different pitches and/or formedfrom different materials to be used for different applications.

A plurality of helical grooves 86 may be formed in parallel in thecylinder 80. The plurality of helical grooves 86 are provided atconsistent arc lengths from neighboring helical grooves 86. In therepresentative embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-8, three helical grooves 86are formed on the cylinder 80 at 120 degree intervals from neighboringhelical grooves 86. In other embodiments, four helical grooves 86 may beformed on the cylinder 80 at 90 degree intervals from neighboringhelical grooves 86. In other embodiments, one or two helical grooves 86may be formed on the cylinder 89. As can be understood by those of skillin the art, the number of helical grooves 86 is limited by the pitch ofthe groove 86 and the size of the cylinder 80.

Three or more helical grooves 86 are preferred because they provide formultiple locations for generating torque on the cylinder 80 (asdiscussed below), which increases the amount of force that can beapplied to the operator 100. A greater number of projections 106provided on the operator 100 (that engage the same number of helicalgrooves 86) allow each projection to carry a lower percentage of thetotal transferred force, which generates the torque to rotate thecylinder 80, and allows the operator 100 to handle greater forces for agiven protrusion 106 strength and size. Multiple protrusions 106 withinthe cylinder 80 allow the cylinder 80 and helical thread 86 size tooptimized.

The cylinder 80 further includes a plurality of cylinder teeth 92 thatextend downward from the bottom end 84 of the cylinder 80. Each tooth 92may be formed with a vertical face that is parallel to the central axis12 of the spool 10, and a second face that is at an oblique angle to thecentral axis 12. Each of the teeth 92 are provided on the cylinder 80 inthe same orientation, i.e. a vertical face from a first cylinder tooth92 is provided next to an oblique face of a neighboring cylinder tooth92. The teeth 92 may be formed at consistent spacing around thecircumference of the cylinder 80. The plurality of cylinder teeth 92form a first half of the clutch 120. The second half of the clutch 120is formed by collar teeth 52 that extend upward from the collar 50(discussed below).

The cylinder 80 is biased upward away from the collar 50 (i.e. so thatthe cylinder teeth 92 do not engage the collar teeth 52) by a lowerspring 112, best shown in FIGS. 5 and 9. The second spring 112 isprovided between collar 50 and the bottom end 84 of the cylinder 80 andis disposed around the central rod 46.

In other embodiments shown in FIG. 11, first and second magnets 1112 a,1112 b may be disposed proximate the respective bottom end 84 of thecylinder 80 and the collar 52 instead of or in combination with thesecond spring 112. Specifically, each of the first and second magnets1112 a, 1112 b are disposed such that one of the north pole N or thesouth pole S of the first magnet 1112 a is disposed proximate the sameof the north pole N or the south pole S of the second magnet 1112 b,such that opposing repulsive magnetic force is generated between the twomagnets 1112 a, 1112 b that serves to maintain the cylinder 80 normallybiased away from the collar 50. The repulsive forces between thecylinder 80 and the collar 50 maintain the cylinder teeth 92 and thecollar teeth 52 separated from each other such that the collar 50 isnormally free to rotate with respect to the cylinder 80.

When the user compresses the operator 100, the cylinder translatestoward the collar 50 against the repulsive biasing force generatedbetween the first and second magnets 1112 a, 1112 b until the cylinderteeth 92 and the collar teeth 52 engage to transfer torque from thecylinder 80 to the collar 50 and ultimately the reel 40. When thecompression upon the operator 100 is released, the cylinder translatesaway from the collar 50 due to the repulsive magnetic force between thefirst and second magnets 1112 a, 1112 b and the collar and cylinderteeth 52, 82 disengage.

As shown in FIG. 4, a third spring 114 is provided coaxially with thecollar 50 and surrounds the outer surface 53 of the tubular portion ofthe collar 50 that forms half of the clutch 120. The bottom end of theoperator 100 engages the third spring 114 just before the projections106 reach the bottom end 86 b of the helical threads 86. The engagementwith the third spring 114 causes a step increase in the resistance todownward compression of the operator 100 and gives the user a tactilewarning that the operator is near its downward travel limit.

As best shown in FIG. 8, each of the helical threads 86 may additionallyinclude an upstanding portion 88 provided at the bottom end 86 b of thehelical threads 86 in the vicinity of the bottom end 84 of the cylinder80. The vertex 86 c of the helical threads 86 defines the lowest pointof the helical threads 86 on the cylinder 80. When the projections 106of the operator 100 reach the vertex 86 c of the helical thread 86 thecylinder 80 no longer can accept any downward force from the operator100. The projections 106 can enter the upstanding portion 88 of thehelical threads 86 if the user continues to compress the operator 100toward the frame 40 after receiving tactile notification that theoperator 100 has engaged the third spring 114.

With additional compression of the operator 100 toward the frame 40, theprojections reach the bottom end 86 b of the helical grooves 86 and therotational inertia of the cylinder 80 causes the projections 106 toenter the upstanding portion 88 of the helical threads 86. In thisposition, the operator 100 is prevented from translating away from theframe 40, regardless of the biasing force of the upper spring 110 andthe third spring 114. This orientation of the spool 10 (shown in FIG. 2)is beneficial because the spool 10 takes up the least volume with theoperator 100 maintained in the vicinity of the frame.

An alternate cylinder 180 is shown in FIG. 10. The cylinder 180 includesthe same structural components as the cylinder 80 and the samestructural components in both cylinders include the same elementnumbers. The helical threads 186 vary from the helical threads 86 of thecylinder 80. The helical thread 186 includes a loop 188 that connectswith the bottom end of the helical thread 186. The bottom end 188 c ofthe loop 188 defines the lowest point of the helical thread 186 in thecylinder 180. As the operator 100 is pressed by the user, theprojections 106 move through the helical threads 186, which rotates thecylinder 180, until the projections 106 reach the point in the helicalthreads 186 where the operator 100 engages the third spring 114 and theuser feels additional resistance to compression. At this point theprojections are near the bottom end of the helical thread 186 and thebottom end 188 c of the loop 188.

With additional compression of the operator 100, the protrusions reachthe bottom end 188 c of the loop 188 and the cylinder 180 no longer canaccept any downward force from the operator 100. The projections 106 canenter the upstanding portion 188 b of the loop 188 if the user continuesto compress the operator 100 toward the frame 40 after receiving tactilenotification that the operator has engaged the third spring 114.

With additional compression of the operator toward the frame 40, therotational inertia of the cylinder 180 causes the projections 106 toenter the upstanding portion 188 b of the loop 188 and if the operator100 is released at the appropriate time the projections 106 rest at thetop portion 188 a of the loop 188. Accordingly, the operator 100 isprevented from translating away from the frame 40, regardless of thebiasing force of the upper spring 110 and the third spring 114. When theoperator 100 is pressed again toward the frame 40 (while in the lockedposition of FIG. 2), the projections 106 continue to ride around theloop 188 until reaching the intersection 188 d with the main downwardportion of the helical thread 186. Upon reaching the downward portion ofthe helical thread 186, the operator 100 can translate to the extendedposition of FIG. 1 due to the biasing forces of the first, second, andthird springs 110, 112, 114.

The collar 50 is rigidly and coaxially coupled to the bracket 60. Insome embodiments, the collar 50 may be monolithically formed with thebracket 60. The collar 50 includes a plurality of collar teeth 52 thatextend upward from the collar 50 and form the second half of the clutch120. The collar teeth 52 are engageable with the cylinder teeth 92 totransfer torque from the cylinder 80 to the collar 50. The collar teeth52 may be formed with a first vertical face parallel to the rotationalaxis of the collar 50 and a second face that is at an oblique angle tothe rotational axis of the collar 50. Each of the collar teeth 52 areoriented in the same orientation and may be aligned with consistentspacing from neighboring collar teeth 52.

The operator 100 is best shown in FIG. 4-5 and includes a disc 102assembled or formed at the top of the operator 100 and a hollow column104 that extends perpendicularly downward from the disc 102. The column104 additionally includes a plurality of projections 106 that extendradially inward from the inner surface of the column 104 toward thecenterline of the column 104. The column 104 includes the same number ofprojections 106 as the number of the helical threads 86 provided on thecylinder 80. The projections 106 may either extend through holes formedin the column 104 or the projections 106 may be integrally ormonolithically formed with the column 104. In some embodiments, aplurality of protuberances 108 extend radially outward from the column104 at the same locations as the projections 106 are provided.

Each of the projections 106 may be located at consistent arc lengthsfrom neighboring projections 106. For example, in embodiments where 3projections 106 are provided on the column 104, each projection 106 ispositioned 120 degrees along the cylinder 80 from the two otherprojections. Similarly, in embodiments where four projections 106 areprovided, each projection 106 is positioned 90 degrees from its twoneighboring projections 106. As discussed above, it is preferable toinclude as many projections 10 and corresponding helical grooves 86 aspossible to provide many parallel points for transferring force from theoperator 100 to the cylinder 80.

Additionally, because the operator 100 is placed in compression whenpressed toward the frame 40 by the user, the construction of the tubularoperator 100 that at least partially surrounds the cylinder 80 ispreferable to the opposite structure (i.e. where the operator would betranslatable within a hollow cylinder with the helical threads areformed in the inner surface of the cylinder) because the tubularoperator 100 has a smaller tendency to buckle than would be the casewith a thinner operator. Further, the respective structure of theoperator 100 and the cylinder 80 allow for a greater number of forcetransfer points between the two members that allows the size of therespective members to be minimized while providing sufficient strengthto accept any expected input compression force by the user.

The operator 100 is biased upward (i.e. away from the bracket 60 and thereel 20 when installed) by an upper spring 110, best shown in FIG. 9.The upper spring 110 may be disposed within the internal portion of thecolumn 104 between the bottom surface of the disc 102 and the top end 82of the cylinder 80. The range of travel of the operator 100 with respectto the cylinder 80 is defined by the vertical length of the helicalthreads 86.

The upper spring 110 may be sized such that the upper spring 110 isslightly compressed when the operator 100 is fully extended from thespool 10, i.e. in the extended position as shown in FIG. 1, and theupper spring 110 becomes further compressed when the operator 100 ispressed downward toward the bracket 60 by the user. The spring constantof the upper spring 110 is selected such that the upper spring 110 issufficient to cause the operator 100 to translate to the extendedposition when the operator 100 is released (when the projections 106 arenot within the upstanding portion 88 of the helical threads 86, asdiscussed above), but additionally to allow the operator 100 to be fullycompressed to the compressed position (FIG. 2) with a single hand of atypical user. The spring constant may be set in proportion to the pitchof the helical threads 86 of the cylinder 80.

In operation, a flexible hose may be coiled or wound around a reel 20using the spool 10 in the following manner. Initially, the reel 20 isplaced on the spool 10 such that the central cylinder 24 surrounds theoperator 100 and the bracket 60. When installing the reel 20 onto thespool 10, the latches 66 automatically bend inward toward the centralaxis 12 of the spool 10 due to the inclined surface on the tab 67, whichallows the reel 20 to be positioned on the spool 10 with a single hand.After the reel 20 is installed, a first end of the hose is fixed to thereel 20. The first end of the hose may be inserted through one of theplurality of indentations 26 or openings 28 on top or bottom discs 21,22 of the reel 20. Further, the hose may be threaded through an enclosedportion 48 of the handle 44 to aid in the removal of kinks and bends inthe hose as it is wound around the reel 20.

When the reel 20 is installed in the spool 10, the clutch 120 (formedfrom the opposing teeth 92, 52 of the cylinder 80 and the collar 50,respectively) is disengaged and the reel 20 is free to rotate in eitherrotational direction about the central rod 46 of the frame 40 in concertwith the bracket 60. The bracket 60 or the operator 100 is preferablyprovided with a visible arrow, or another similar marking, to displaythe direction that the reel 20 will rotate when the operator 100 isdepressed, such that the hose becomes wrapped in the correct directionaround the reel 20 when the spool is 10 operated. As the reel 20 ismanually rotated, the hose wraps around the central cylinder 24 of thereel 20. The user is free to manually rotate the reel 20 until theentire hose, cord, etc. is wrapped around the reel 20.

Alternatively, the operator 100 may be depressed toward the bracket towrap the hose around the central cylinder 24 of the reel 20.Specifically, the operator 100 can be translated toward the frame 40with sufficient force to overcome the biasing force of the upper spring110. As the operator 100 is pressed downward, the projections 106 thatare inserted within the helical threads 86 transfer the downward linearforce of the operator 100 to the cylinder 80. Initially, the cylinder 80translates linearly downward against the biasing force of the lowerspring 112 until the cylinder teeth 92 engage the collar teeth 52. Afterthe two sets of teeth of the clutch 120 are engaged, the cylinder 80 isprevented from further downward movement in response to continueddownward force applied on the operator 100.

With additional force applied to the operator 100, the projections 106translate within the helical threads 86 on the cylinder 80. Because thecylinder 80 is prevented from further linear movement due to engagementof the clutch 120, the cylinder 80 rotates in accordance with thecurvature of the helical threads 86 to provide room for the projections106 to translate within the helical threads 86. The rotation of thecylinder 80 causes the projections 106 to slide within the helicalthreads 86 and provides clearance for additional downward translation ofthe operator 100 toward the bracket 60. Because the opposing teeth ofthe clutch 120 are engaged (i.e. the vertical portion of the cylinderteeth 92 contacts the vertical portion of the collar teeth 52), torquegenerated in the cylinder 80 is transferred to the collar 50 causing thebracket 60 to correspondingly rotate. The reel 20 rotates with thebracket 60 due to the connection between the internal surface of thecentral cylinder 24 and the perpendicular faces 62 a of the ribs 62. Asthe reel 20 rotates, the hose is pulled within the reel 20 and initiallywrapped around the central cylinder 24 and then wrapped around interiorlayers of hose and the central cylinder 24.

After the operator 100 translates a distance almost equal to thevertical length of the helical threads 86, the operator 100 engages thethird spring 114 provided around the tubular portion of the collar 50.Upon contacting the third spring 114, the user tactilely feels a stepincrease in the resistance to compression of the operator 100 andnormally releases the operator 100.

Releasing the operator 100 allows the lower spring 112 to expand anddisengage the opposing teeth 92, 52 of the clutch 120. At the same time,the upper spring 110 expands, which translates the operator 100 awayfrom the bracket 60. The upward translation of the operator 100 causesthe cylinder 80 to rotate in the opposite direction due to the curvatureof the helical threads 86. Because the cylinder 80 is no longermechanically engaged with the bracket 60 (through the clutch 120) thereverse rotation of the cylinder 80 has no effect on the position of thebracket 60 and provides no torque to the reel 20, which allows the reelto coast to a stop. The cylinder 80 continues to rotate with upwardmovement of the operator 100 until the projections 106 reach the upperend 86 a of the helical threads 86.

The user may then repeat the above process by again compressing theoperator 100 toward the frame 40, which ultimately causes the reel 20further rotate in the same direction and additional hose to be coiledaround the reel 20. The operator 100 may be fixed in the compressedposition (FIG. 2) by continuing to compress the operator 100 aftertactilely feeling the step increase in resistance to downwardcompression, which occurs due to the bottom end of the operator 100engaging the third spring 114. With additional compression, theprotrusions 106 reach the bottom end 86 b of the helical threads 86 andthen translate into the upstanding portion 88 thereof. When theprotrusions 106 engage the upstanding portion 88, the operator 100 isfree to translate slightly upward away from the frame 40 a distanceequivalent to the height of the upstanding portion 88 of the helicalthreads 86, but is prevented from further outward translation even withthe biasing forces of the upper and third springs 110, 114.

When it is desired to return the operator 100 to the extended position(FIG. 1), the user depresses the operator 100 toward the frame 40against the biasing forces of the upper and third springs 110, 114,which slightly rotates the cylinder 80. Eventually, the protrusions 106reach the vertex 86 c of the helical threads 86 and the cylinder 80continues to rotate in the same direction allowing the protrusions 106to slide along the helical threads 86 toward the top end 86 a, andallowing the operator 100 to return to the extended position.

After the hose is fully coiled around the reel 20, the reel 20 may beremoved from the frame 40 by bending one or more of the latches 66inward until the tabs 67 no longer engage the top disc 22 of the reel20, allowing clearance for the reel 20 to be removed from the frame 40.Alternatively, the hose can be removed from the reel 20 by pulling onthe free end of the hose. The outward force on the hose becomes a torqueon the reel 20, which rotates with the bracket 60 and the collar 50 toallow the hose to be uncoiled from the reel 20. Because the clutch 120is disengaged the reel 20 can rotate in either direction required tounwind the hose from the reel 20, allowing the reel 20 with a coiledhose thereon to be placed on the frame 40 and around the bracket 60 ineither possible orientation.

In some embodiments shown in FIG. 12, the operator 100 and cylinder 80may be replaced with a motor 800 and motor shaft 802 that selectivelyinteracts with the collar 50 to transfer torque thereto and ultimatelyto the reel 20 (through the bracket 60). In some embodiments, atransmission 804 may be disposed upon the motor shaft 802, whichprovides an output shaft 806 with a lower rotational velocity than themotor shaft 802, with a higher amount of torque than the motor shaft802. In some embodiments, a centrifugal clutch 820 may be disposedbetween the output shaft 806 of the transmission 804 and the collar 50to selectively transmit torque between the two when the output shaft 806spins above a certain threshold.

As shown in FIG. 12, the clutch 820 may include one or more shoes 822that are mounted to the output shaft 806 to allow the shoes 822 to biasoutward when the output shaft 806 spins above a certain rotationalvelocity. As the shoes 822 bias outward they eventually contact a drum824 disposed upon the collar 50, which makes frictional contact with theone or more shoes 822 to cause the collar 50 to rotate along with thebracket 60 and the reel 20. When the output shaft 806 slows below acertain threshold, the shoes 822 translate inward to remove contact withthe drum 824, which allows the collar 50 and the cylinder 80 to rotatewith respect to the other of the collar 50 and the cylinder 80.

In still other embodiments shown in FIGS. 13-14, an alternate spool 300may be provided that is configured for use with an electrical powercord. The spool 300 includes all of the components of the spool 10discussed above, including a reel rotatably received upon a frame 340, abracket 360 rotatable about the frame 340 with a collar 350 disposedtherebetween, and an operator 400 and cylinder 380 configured to causeselective rotation of the reel 320 with respect to the frame 340 whenthe operator 400 is manipulated by the user, or the reel 320 is rotatedby the user pulling on the electrical cord disposed around the reel 320.Each of these structures are constructed and operate similarly to theirsimilar structures discussed above with any changes to the structureidentified below.

The spool 300 additionally includes an electrical power transfer systemthat receives electrical power from a conventional source, such as awall unit through a power cord 304 attached to the frame 340. The powercord 304 is electrically connected to a plurality of concentric sliprings 441, 442, 443 on the upper surface of the plate 342 of the frame340. The slip rings 441, 442, 443 are each electrically connected to oneof the hot 304 a, neutral 304 b, and ground lines 304 c within theelectrical cord, such that the slip rings 441, 442, 443 each allow forelectrical communication with the respective line of the cord 304. Theslip rings 441, 442, 443 are each disposed upon the plate 342 with aninsulator material disposed therebetween to provide a high resistancematerial between the respective slip ring 441, 442, 443 and the plate342, both to minimize current flow between the slip rings 441, 442, 443and the plate 342, and additionally to prevent electrical communicationbetween the slip rings 441, 442, 443. In some embodiments, the plate 342may be made from plastic or another suitable high resistance material tominimize and substantially eliminate the flow of electrical current fromthe slip rings 441, 442, 443 and through the plate 342.

The collar 350 is rotatably received upon and above the plate 342 toallow the collar 350 to rotate with respect to the plate 342. Further,the collar 350 is additionally disposed above the slip rings 441, 442,443. The collar 350 includes a plurality of sets of brushes 357, 358,359 that are disposed upon the bottom surface of the collar 350 and arealigned such that each set of brushes 357, 358, 359 contacts and ridesupon (when the collar 350 rotates with respect to the plate 342) one ofthe slip rings 441, 442, 443 to transfer electrical current to the setsof brushes 357, 358, 359 from the respective ring 441, 442, 443.

The slip rings 441, 442, 443 are configured upon the plate 342 such thatthe slip rings 441, 442, 443 are each covered by the bottom surface ofthe collar 350, to provide sufficient electrical contact between therespective sets of brushes 357, 358, 359 disposed upon the collar 350and the slip rings 441, 442, 443. The slip rings 441, 442, 443 are eachdisposed under the collar 350 to allow the collar 350 to mechanicallyenclose the slip rings 441, 442, 443 to prevent inadvertent contactbetween a foreign object and the slip rings 441, 442, 443.

The collar 350 is mechanically connected to the bracket 360 thatrotatably receives the reel 320 thereon to transfer torque received bythe collar 350 (from the cylinder 380) to the bracket 360. The bracket360 includes a female electrical outlet 368 that is configured toreceive a male end of an extension cord wrapped around the reel 320. Theelectrical connection between the bracket 360 and the male end of thecord additionally retains the cord upon the reel 320, and allows theremainder of the cord to wrap around the central cylinder of reel 320,when the reel 320 is rotated upon the frame 340.

The bracket 360 is electrically connected to the collar 350 when thebracket 360 is mechanically connected to the collar 350. The electricalconnection 369 may be through a conventional male/female plugarrangement, or through other types of electrical connectors. In someembodiments, the electrical connectors on each of the collar 350 and thebracket 360 may be configured such that the electrical connection isautomatically made when the collar 350 and bracket 360 are electricallyconnected.

Accordingly, the electrical cord connected and wrapped around the reel320 may be used to transfer power to a remote location while theelectrical cord is partially wrapped around the reel 320 and the spool300 is connected to a source of electrical power through its power cord304.

In other embodiments shown in FIGS. 15-16, the electrical cord 604 ofthe spool 600 may be electrically connected with the operator 700.Similar to the embodiment discussed directly above, the like components(i.e. the spool 600 of this embodiment and spool 10 discussed above) areconstructed similarly unless specifically mentioned here. Each of thehot, neutral, and ground lines may be electrically connected to one ofthree projections 706 a, 706 b, 706 c located within the operator 700and configured to ride within one of three parallel helical slots 686 a,686 b, 686 c in the cylinder 680. Each of the three helical slots 686 a,686 b, 686 c that receives the respective projection 706 a, 706 b, 706 cincludes a bus bar or other electrically conductive surface 686 e.

These electrically conductive surfaces 686 e may be electricallyconnected to one of three sets of brushes 696 f, 696 g, 696 h disposedupon a plate 696. In some embodiments, each of the three sets of brushes696 f, 696 g, 696 h may electrically connected with an inwardly facingtooth 696 j, 696 k, 606 m that extends radially into the respectivehelical slot 686 a, 686 b, 686 c to electrically connect the brushes tothe respective bus bars. The plate 696 may be rigidly mounted proximatethe bottom end 684 of the cylinder 680 for contact with dedicated sliprings 741, 742, 743 disposed upon the collar 650. The collar 650includes an electrical connection 669 with the bracket 660, similar tothe electrical connection between the bracket 360 and the collar 350discussed above. The bracket 660 includes a female outlet 668 thatreceives the male plug of an extension cord to be wrapped therearound.

In other embodiments, the plurality of brushes 696 f, 696 g, 696 h onthe cylinder 680 may be disposed upon a spring (such as the secondspring 112 discussed above) either directly or through the plate 696discussed above, with the spring and plate 696 configured to maintainelectrical contact between the brushes 686 f and the respective sliprings 741, 742, 743 disposed upon the collar 650, regardless of theposition of the opposing teeth 692, 652 on the cylinder 680 and thecollar 650 respectively. In other embodiments, the cylinder 680 and thecollar 650 may be in constant contact (or consistent spacing from eachother) such that the plurality of brushes upon or constrained with thecylinder 680 may be directly mounted to the cylinder 680 and in constantcontact with the respective slip rings 741, 742, 743.

The foregoing disclosure is the best mode devised by the inventors forpracticing this disclosure. It is apparent, however, that apparatusincorporating modifications and variations will be obvious to oneskilled in the art. Inasmuch as the foregoing disclosure is intended toenable one skilled in the pertinent art to practice the instantdisclosure, it should not be construed to be limited thereby but shouldbe construed to include aforementioned obvious variations and be limitedonly by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description beregarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understoodthat it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that areintended to define the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

1. A rotatable spool comprising: (a) a frame with a central rod; (b) ahollow cylinder rotatable about the central rod, comprising a helicalthread formed along the cylinder and a central axis parallel with thecentral rod; (c) an operator disposed around a portion of the cylinder,comprising a projection that is engaged with the helical thread suchthat linear movement of the operator causes the cylinder to rotate aboutits central axis; (d) a reel rotatably mounted on the frame; and (e) aclutch selectively coupling the cylinder and the reel when the operatoris depressed.
 2. The spool of claim 1, wherein the cylinder comprises aplurality of helical threads and the operator comprises a correspondingplurality of corresponding projections.
 3. The spool of claim 1, whereinengagement between the operator and the cylinder prevents rotation ofthe operator.
 4. The spool of claim 1, wherein the reel is configured toaccept a flexible elongated member.
 5. The spool of claim 1, where thereel is removable from the frame.
 6. The spool of claim 1, furthercomprising a rotatable bracket aligned concentrically and partiallysurrounding the cylinder.
 7. The spool of claim 6, wherein the bracketis fixed to an output portion of the clutch with a collar.
 8. The spoolof claim 6, wherein the bracket comprises a plurality of radiallyextended arms that engage the reel.
 9. The spool of claim 8, wherein thebracket comprises a latch that extends from one of the plurality of armsto engage the reel.
 10. The spool of claim 9, wherein the latchcomprises a tab portion that is engageable with the reel.
 11. The spoolof claim 1, wherein the operator comprises a disc that is configured tobe manipulated by the user to linearly translate the operator withrespect to the frame.
 12. The spool of claim 11, further comprising afirst spring provided between the disc and the cylinder to bias the discaway from the cylinder.
 13. The spool of claim 7, further comprising aspring disposed between the cylinder and a collar.
 14. The spool ofclaim 7, wherein the clutch comprises a plurality of first teethprojecting from a bottom surface of the cylinder that are selectivelyengageable with a plurality of second teeth projecting from the collar.15. The spool of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first and secondteeth each comprise a vertical face and an inclined face.
 16. The spoolof claim 1, wherein the clutch couples the cylinder and the reel whenthe cylinder rotates in a first direction and the operator is depressedtoward the frame, and the clutch disengages the reel and the cylinderwhen the reel rotates in an opposite direction.
 17. The spool of claim1, further comprising an upstanding portion of the helical thread in theproximity of a bottom end of the cylinder.
 18. The spool of claim 17,wherein the upstanding portion of the helical thread defines a loop. 19.The spool of claim 17, wherein the projection of the operator is fixedlyengageable within the upstanding portion of the helical thread.
 20. Thespool of claim 1, wherein the clutch comprises a first magnet disposedupon the cylinder and a second magnet disposed in concert with thespool, wherein the first and second magnets are aligned such that a samepolarity of each magnet is proximate the opposing magnet.
 21. The spoolof claim 1, further comprising an electrical cord connected to a portionof the spool and an electrical connection between the electrical cordand an electrical outlet provided in concert with the reel.
 22. Thespool of claim 21, wherein the electrical connection comprises aplurality of slip rings disposed upon the frame to receive electricalcurrent from the electrical cord, and a plurality of brushes disposed inconcert with the reel in electrical connection with the electricaloutlet.
 23. A rotatable spool comprising: (a) a rotatable cylindercomprising a helical groove inscribed on an outer surface of thecylinder; (b) an operator at least partially surrounding the cylinder,the operator comprising a projection that engages the helical groove;(c) a bracket surrounding a portion of the operator and the cylinder;(d) a clutch selectively engaging the cylinder and the bracket; and (d)a reel removeably engageable with the bracket for rotation with thebracket.
 24. The spool of claim 23, where the reel and the bracket arerotatable in a first direction cylinder when the clutch is engaged, andthe reel and the bracket are rotatable in an opposite direction withrespect to the cylinder.
 25. A rotatable spool comprising: (a) arotatable cylinder comprising a helical thread inscribed on an outersurface of the cylinder; (b) an operator disposed concentrically and atleast partially surrounding the cylinder, the cylinder comprising a topend, a bottom end, and a projection radially extending toward therotational axis provided in the vicinity of the bottom end of theoperator; (c) a reel rotatably mounted at least partially surroundingthe cylinder and the operator and engageable with the cylinder to rotatetherewith.